


Catch and Release

by agirlnamedtruth



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Fire, Gen, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-26
Updated: 2012-07-26
Packaged: 2017-11-10 19:35:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/469897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agirlnamedtruth/pseuds/agirlnamedtruth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco in the room of requirement as it goes up in flames and he is saved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catch and Release

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompts 'Hot' (for [Writerverse](http://writerverse.livejournal.com/)) and 'Forced to rely on enemy/rival' (for [Hurt/Comfort Bingo](http://hc-bingo.livejournal.com/))

The fire whipped round the room, the years and years of junk almost absurdly flammable. Damn Crabbe and damn Goyle, they just don’t have a brain cell to share between them, Draco thought, trying to replace fear with anger.

He could almost feel it biting at his heels, climbing up with him, trying to catch him and overtake him, reel him in and swallow him whole.

He glanced down, not sure what he hoped to see. Did he want to see them saved or burned? The Granger girl, Weasley and _Potter_. Did he really want to see them down there in the flames? Did he really hate them that badly? Was he that bad himself?

He heard Granger scream and a sweat broke out on his skin, cold despite the extreme heat that made the air unbreathable. The sweat made his hands slip and if he’d just been that bit slower, that would have been it.

He opened his mouth, almost calling for help and then he realised Crabbe and Goyle weren’t about to save him and nobody outside of this room could hear him. If he begged now, he’d be begging Potter and Potter would play the hero, there was no doubting that.

Crabbe slipped beside him and then suddenly his hands weren’t there anymore, there was nothing where he had been. Draco heard his blood curdling scream and turned just in time to see him disappear into the haze, into the flame, into nothing. His own stomach dropped right along with him, falling and almost dragging him down with it.

He kept scrabbling up, there was no going back now. All he could do was keep running and wait for the flames to catch up. They were coming, hot on his heels. He could feel the heat creeping over his skin, like a bath ran too hot. It inched higher, promising what was to come. Goyle clambered to the top beside him and took one look down, fainting dead and falling on Draco the instant he did. He screamed, pinned by dead weight, he didn’t care who he was screaming for now.

Something caught his eye, someone called out to him and made a grab for his hand. It failed and Draco recognized Harry’s face for a fleeting second before Goyle was being pulled off him and he was being pulled onto Harry’s broom. Everything fell away underneath them, all the heat and all the threat, leaving him babbling, terrified and confused yet cold and numb inside.

All he could do was cling to Potter’s back, the boy who’d made him look like a nobody, the boy he’d fought so hard to ridicule and provoke, the one who’d been _the Chosen One_ , chosen for everything above Draco. 

It hit him then, this was why Potter was the Chosen One. He wasn’t playing the hero, he _was_ the hero. Draco wasn’t sure that had their positions been switched, he’d have had the courage to go back.

He landed hard on the floor, drinking in clean, cool air like it was water.

“Crabbe,” He tried and failed. “Crabbe...”

“He’s dead.” Weasley said, no sign of caring at all. And why should he, it had all been his fault. Their fault. He was sure had it been up to Weasley, him and Goyle would be dead too.

He tried to speak, to thank them, to say anything but the world moved on around him. Within a heartbeat they were saving other people, more deserving people while he sat there, cradling Goyle and trying not to look as weak as he felt, nearly sobbing in relief because the fire had let him go with his life.


End file.
